Thursday, 26 November 2009

How are you spending your Eid?Going to see your parents, or are guests coming to your place?Is it a bakra or a gaye?Are you hosting a BBQ? Are you the chef?Will you be enjoying the lovely autumn weather as you munch on the tikkas?Where will you heart be?

Is your heart in Waziristan where blood is being shed?Is your heart with our jawans, young men, who are risking their lives for our freedom?Who are fighting not one, but a consortium of enemies?

This Eid, will you be thinking of them?

or will you sit in your dining rooms, complain about the inflation, wearing beautiful clothes and munch on some dry fruit?

And why not! It is for our Eid, our freedom, our right to live that they are risking their lives. Why should we not embrace life more, in honour of them? Why shouldn’t we enjoy our Eid, remembering them, praying for them and their families?

That is definitely my plan. I intend to enjoy my freedom because much blood has been shed to protect it. I fully intend to dress up and eat plenty of meat because many young men have died for my right to dress and participate socially. Mostly, I intend to express my gratitude to my Allah, who sent us these angels.

"I intend to enjoy my freedom because much blood has beenshed to protect it. I fully intend to dress up and eat plenty of meat because many young men have died for my right to dress and participatesocially."

A group of young group of people, got together in Islamabad one night to express their gratitude for the army, the pain that has been felt over the past year, the fear that now surrounds us, and the resilience that makes us Pakistani. Wearing green ribbons, there were small performances…. not more than five minutes each, that took you through an emotional roller coaster. In one hour a multitude of emotions we have felt in the past one year were all rolled into one smashing bag of performances. The performers did not belittle or insult anyone. It was an expression of our gratitude for our right to speak, and our passion to use that right for the good. We all stood up for the armed forces, the police, the IDPs, the victims of bomb attacks and for the citizens of this country. We all stood up with pride and showed that we are alive, strong and united, and we will not let the enemy win.One hour! One hour that changed me forever.

One hour that reminded me that we are indeed a country at War. That many have died, and continue to die, for a war we did not start. We realize that as a nation we must stand together, and stand strong, and stand by our jawans who fight for us. We must give them strength as they fight for our freedom. One hour that changed me, moved me…. and all those who were in attendance.

I have not laughed, cried, been shocked, moved, scared, raised with hope – and so much more- in one hour.

"We all stood up for the armed forces, the police, theIDPs, the victims of bomb attacks and for the citizens of this country. We all stood up with pride and showed that we are alive, strong and united, and we will not let the enemy win."

And the next day, the same group got together and did more.

The young lot took time out one evening and wrote Eid cards for the troops with messages inside. My friends, many of them well versed in English, thought of urdu verses and words, poetry and songs ….in the language of our nation … to communicate with our heroes. We told them we loved them. That on this Eid we were thinking of them and were filled with gratitude. They are today’s Tipu Sultans, Qasim and Ayyubi. They are our sons and our brothers, and they are the pride of this nation.

Then there are those who are sending the troops sweaters and socks, and jackets…. Not because the troops need them but because we need to do something for them. To tell them we remember them and love them and that we are worth fighting for!

Yes, we are worth fighting for. Our freedom is worth fighting for!

No matter what the foreign policy or political status of this country, no matter how much we dislike the generals in their big fancy cars, we love our jawans and we stand by them. And this Eid, we are with them. Our hearts are with them. We will pray for their victory, as their victory is ours. We pray for their lives as they protect ours. We pray for their families, for they are our family. Our Eid is with them. As we munch on BBQ-ed meat and dress beautifully, and get together with our families, these jawans fight the enemy in bitter cold, admist barren and lifeless mountains that protect and show mercy to no one. As we spend our day watching TV lazily or sending meat to our friends, they will be hoisting the national flag on another mountain, and another…. and another.